Long Bar

The Long Bar, nestled in the corner of Raffles Hotel, is the birthplace of Singapore’s most iconic drink. The Singapore Sling is a heritage drink that reflects both Singapore’s colonial past and the secret rebellion of women who defied patriarchal expectations in the early 1900s.

Whilst the exact date of the bar’s establishment is unclear, the hotel was originally a privately owned beach house in the 1830s, only to become a hotel in 1878. After the passing of Dr. Charles Emerson, the founding owner, the Raffles Institution acquired the property as a boarding house. Immediately after its first lease expired, famous Armenian hotel tycoons the Sarkies Brothers took over the property. It was their acquisition that transformed Raffles into the iconic hotel it is today. The Raffles Hotel grew from a humble home with fewer than 10 bedrooms into a grand hotel with 75 rooms.

On a hot summer day, watching their husbands play cricket, the women of early 1900s colonial Singapore needed a drink that would quench their thirst. However, due to patriarchal standards, women were not allowed to drink alcohol publicly. Realising there’s a solution to this unnecessary problem, Ngiam Tong Boon, a Hainan man who worked his way to being a bar captain, created the Singapore Sling. A cocktail ingeniously disguised as fruit juice. As gin was his speciality, it naturally became the base of the cocktail. Other ingredients included in this delightful cocktail are pineapple juice, lime juice, curaçao, Bénédictine, grenadine, and cherry liqueur. The drink quickly gained popularity among women, then across Singapore, and ultimately became the international icon it is today.

The Long Bar continues its tradition in serving Singapore Slings, contributing 70% of the bar’s total revenue, earning SGD 15 million (USD 11 million) in annual sales. The staff make nearly 800 - 1200 Singapore Slings daily. Every 27th of June, to honour the cocktail’s legacy, the Long Bar hosts Singapore Sling Day. As a fun nod to the drink’s tropical roots, guests can exchange a pineapple for a free Singapore Sling. With a focus on sustainability, ingredients are delivered in reusable ecoTOTE containers, and biodegradable potato starch straws are used in place of plastic, significantly reducing waste.